It’s hard to keep track of all of the songs Albert Hammond has co-written that became hits for other artists. The Hollies’ “The Air that I Breathe,” Leo Sayer’s “When I Need You,” Starship’s “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now,” and Chicago’s “I Don’t Wanna Live Without Your Love” would rank high on such a list but would only be a start. A list of Hammond’s own appearances on the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 would require only two spots. One would be for his No. 31 hit from 1974, “I’m a Train,” and the other for the song that most music fans know him for, “It Never Rains in Southern California.”
Videos by American Songwriter
Hammond wrote “It Never Rains in Southern California” with lyricist Mike Hazlewood, and the song would become the title track of his debut album. It is sung from the perspective of someone who tries but fails to make it in show business, and for the most part, it’s a true account of things that happened to Hammond. One important detail—the song’s location—is fictional. Ironically, Hammond’s song about failure became the biggest success of his recording career, but it took an encounter with one of the most powerful executives in the recording industry to give it a boost.
Based on Hammond’s Real-Life Low Point
Hammond and Hazlewood had worked together for a few years prior to the writing and making of It Never Rains in Southern California in 1972. As the duo Hammond-Hazlewood, they released three non-charting singles in the late ‘60s. Then both were members of the British folk rock group The Family Dogg, which had a Top-10 UK hit with “A Way of Life” in 1969.
Their partnership would eventually take them to Los Angeles, but not before they would co-write “It Never Rains in Southern California.” The song is based on Hammond’s experience of trying to make it as a musician in Spain after having grown up in Gibraltar. Hammond recalled those times with Hazelwood when they were in London, and he specifically told him about a time he was asking people for money near a train station. As Hammond recounted to Songfacts, he unknowingly asked his cousin—who was on his honeymoon—for money. Much to his dismay, his cousin recognized him. Hammond was horrified and begged his cousin not to tell his father, but to avail.
At the point where Hammond shared this story with Hazelwood, the duo knew they would be leaving London for Los Angeles. Hazlewood took the details of Hammond’s account and switched the location, creating a plausible tale about someone struggling to find success in glamorous Hollywood.
“They Told Me It Was a Terrible Song”
Once the Columbia Records subsidiary Mums released “It Never Rains in Southern California” as the second single from Hammond’s debut album, it didn’t take long for it to connect with listeners. Yet Hammond’s big break almost didn’t happen. As he recalled in a 2017 interview with Music-News.com, it was a meeting with legendary music executive Clive Davis—then the president of Columbia Records—that was instrumental to “It Never Rains in Southern California” becoming a hit.
Hammond played several of his songs for Davis, including “The Air that I Breathe,” but he consciously chose not to play “It Never Rains in Southern California.” It wasn’t until Davis asked him if he had any other songs that Hammond brought up his future hit. He told Davis, “When I played it to all these wonderful artists, they told me it was a terrible song. That’s why I didn’t play it.” Upon hearing “It Never Rains in Southern California,” Davis replied, “That’s going to be your biggest single, and that’s going to be the title of your album.”
The Impact of “It Never Rains in Southern California”
Davis was prescient about the future success of “It Never Rains in Southern California,” even though it wasn’t the lead single from the album it lent its name to. It was the follow-up to “Down by the River,” which reached the Top 40 of Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart but only No. 91 on the Hot 100. “It Never Rains in Southern California” caught on quickly, debuting at No. 65 on the Hot 100 in October 1972 and reaching its peak position of No. 5 eight weeks later. It also climbed to No. 2 on the Adult Contemporary chart, blocked from the top spot by Gilbert O’Sullivan’s “Clair.”
“It Never Rains in Southern California” continues to stand out among Hammond’s many popular compositions. It has been covered by numerous artists over the years, including Sonny & Cher, Barry Manilow, and Fountains of Wayne’s Chris Collingwood. Hammond also rerecorded the song with Al Stewart for his 2010 album Legend. The original version has nearly 130 million streams on Spotify.
“It Never Rains in Spain” would have also been a poetic title, but would it have resonated with American listeners the way that “It Never Rains in Southern California” did? The song is so catchy and its lyrics so evocative that it might have still been a hit had its story veered closer to actual events. Fortunately for Hammond, Hazelwood’s slightly embellished version helped to put a Gold record on his wall and launch a highly successful chapter in his songwriting career.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Photo by Tony Russell/Redferns
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.